Heritage Foundation Wastes No Time Spinning Court Ruling On Greenhouse Gas Emissions

[GoLeft TV]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against plaintiffs yesterday in a lawsuit (American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut) brought by six states against several utility companies and the government-owned Tennessee Valley Authority. The states (California, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) were attempting to force the utility companies to cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the grounds that the emissions were a “public nuisance.” The Court unanimously declared that the judiciary should stay out of the matter because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already has the authority to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act.

President Obama previously stated that he stood with the utility companies in this suit, as well as in a similar suit being decided in a lower court. The utility companies in the suit included Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Southern Co, Excel Energy, and the aforementioned Tennessee Valley Authority.

The conservative think tank Heritage Foundation wasted no time yesterday in claiming that the Court’s ruling was a major blow to environmentalists, and managed to take a cheap shot at some of the liberal members of the court:

The full story is available at DeSmogBlog - http://desmogblog.com/heritage-foundation-wastes-no-time-spinning-court-ruling-greenhouse-gas-emissions

[ananda]

1. Sad.

Just too sad.

[happyslug]

2. Here is the actual Court Opinion

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/10-174.pdf